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Samsung Jelly Bean Update Breakdown: Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 & More

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With the new year in full swing and Android Jelly Bean updates rolling out left and right, many smartphone owners, particularly those on Samsung, are likely wondering about missing updates. Here, we take a detailed look at the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean situations surrounding Samsung’s big name smartphone models including the Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 and more.

In July of last year, Google rolled out its big yearly update in the form of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a piece of software that replaced Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and brought along a ton of new features to devices like the Samsung Galaxy S3 which was updated to the software shortly after it launched. Samsung has been keen on updating its older devices, like the Galaxy S2, with Android 4.1 though there are still some updates that remain missing for several key devices here in the United States.

And while Samsung was been hard at work updating its older devices with Android 4.1, Google introduced another Jelly Bean update, one that has been elusive for many of the non-Nexus devices out there.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is currently king of the Android world in that it’s the most recent version of Android that Google has unleashed upon the public. And while it’s not as massive of an update as Android 4.1 was, it’s still an extremely likeable piece of software, and one that unfortunately continues to elude consumers that don’t own Nexus-branded devices.

The adoption rate of Android 4.2 has been extremely slow with the Samsung Galaxy S4 becoming one of the only non-Nexus smartphones to run Google’s most current software. Even the new HTC One, which is HTC’s latest and greatest piece of hardware, is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the previous version of the software.

With Android 4.2 only available on a few devices and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean still very much relevant for many smartphone owners, Samsung device owners have been struggling for answers when it comes to their upcoming updates, whether it be Android 4.1, Android 4.2, or perhaps both.

That said, it’s time to breakdown what we know so far about Samsung’s Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 plans and what we might see happen at some point in the future.

Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a shoo-in for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a shoo-in for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 remains a top tier smartphone, despite the fact that it has been replaced by the Samsung Galaxy S4. And while it remains on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an update that it received several months ago, the device will be getting the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update in the United States and abroad.

Here is what we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean updates so far.

AT&T

Back in January, AT&T rolled out its version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. That update came many months after the international version got its update, just another long wait for U.S. customers that are already accustomed to being behind in terms of update speed.

AT&T has not yet confirmed Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for its Galaxy S3 nor have we seen it leak out. However, we know that Samsung and at least one U.S. carrier are hard at work on an update so we should see AT&T follow suit.

AT&T Galaxy S3 owners shouldn’t expect the update soon though. AT&T typically is several months behind the international models which means that as of right now, summer is looking likely for a roll out. In fact, owners could even be waiting until the fall for the update to arrive. The international roll out is rumored for either May or June.

Also of note is that the Sprint Galaxy S3 recently got Multi-Window View, a piece of the missing Premium Suite update, and it could mean that the AT&T Galaxy S3 will receive the powerful multitasking feature in a future update as well.

Sprint

Sprint Galaxy S3 owners are in a similar boat as AT&T Galaxy S3 owners when it comes to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Neither Samsung nor Sprint have confirmed anything but we are almost certain that the device will get the update down the road.

Fortunately, Sprint owners will likely see the update arrive before most as Sprint has been extremely diligent when it comes to getting Android updates out in a speedy manner. It beat other Galaxy S3 devices to Multi-Window View and it has pushed out Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S2 updates faster than the others as well.

So Sprint owners can rest easy knowing that the device will likely be one of the first to get its Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update.

T-Mobile

Like AT&T and Sprint owners, T-Mobile owners are in the dark in regards to an upgrade to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. However, we fully expect the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, like the rest, to receive an upgrade to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

T-Mobile is typically in the middle of the pack when it comes to receiving updates so we expect it to follow Sprint in terms of timing.

We aren’t sure if T-Mobile will spring for any of the features in the missing Premium Suite update for the Galaxy S3 but now that Sprint has unleashed Multi-Window View, there is a distinct possibility that we could see something happen in the next few weeks or perhaps months.

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular is a little more unpredictable that most as it has, in the past, been fairly fast to updates but at other times been extremely slow, particularly when it comes to older devices. The Galaxy S2 Android 4.1 update is a prime example of this. One theory is that it doesn’t have the same kind of resources that the larger carriers have and thus, can’t dedicate as much time to updates for older phones.

We expect the carrier to outfit its Galaxy S3 with Android 4.2, it’s just a matter of when. We expect it to slot in right around T-Mobile’s release date, either sooner or later, but before AT&T and Verizon.

The regional carrier has yet to unleash the Premium Suite or any of its features onto Galaxy S3 owners at this point but again, Sprint opened up the door for everyone so it remains a possibility.

Verizon

Verizon is currently the only carrier that has seen a confirmed Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update leak. It leaked quite awhile ago too which means that the carrier has likely been working hard at getting the software primed and ready for a release.

Still, Verizon is typically last to major updates and we expect it to be last with the Galaxy S3 Android 4.2 update as well. With Android 4.1, Verizon didn’t roll out the update to its Galaxy S3 until March, long after the others. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the same thing happen with the Android 4.2 update.

As for the Premium Suite, considering that Sprint rolled it out, there’s a chance, but given that it still hasn’t full optimized the Multi-View feature on the Galaxy Note 2, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Verizon pass it up, possibly to keep performance high.

Samsung Galaxy Note

The AT&T Galaxy Note Android 4.1 update remains missing.

The AT&T Galaxy Note Android 4.1 update remains missing.

The original Samsung Galaxy Note, while old, remains a well-adopted smartphone as it was only released in 2012 in the United States. That means that owners who signed up for a two year contract will still have it for another year. It’s clear that this device is still very relevant when it comes to updates though owners in the U.S. have seen long waits for software upgrades. Here is how it breaks down.

AT&T

The AT&T Galaxy Note is still without its upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, despite Samsung rolling out the software to many models around the world months ago. AT&T still has not filled in owners on a specific release date and Canadian carrier Rogers, which is typically in line with AT&T’s Android release dates for Samsung devices, claims that it will roll out in May, which means that AT&T customers might get it that month as well.

There have been rumors that have suggested that the original Galaxy Note will get Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and stay on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and given its age, that appears to be pretty reasonable.

T-Mobile

The ill-fated T-Mobile Galaxy Note, which was sold for only a few weeks before being discontinued, still sits on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. We aren’t sure what plans T-Mobile has for the 5.3-inch phablet but we imagine that it will keep those who were unfortunate enough to buy it, updated with the latest software including Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

The Galaxy Note 2 will get Android 4.2, it's just a matter of time.

The Galaxy Note 2 will get Android 4.2, it’s just a matter of time.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which arrived last year as one of the first devices with stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, remains on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean abroad and in the United States. However, the quad-core powered device will almost certainly be getting Android 4.2 in the near future with rumors suggesting an update in either May or June.

AT&T

We haven’t seen anything leak for the AT&T Galaxy Note 2 just yet but given how slow AT&T has been to other Samsung Android updates, including the Galaxy Note Android 4.1 and Android 4.0 updates, we imagine that it will be near the end of the pack in terms of timing when it comes to Android 4.2.

Android 4.2 is a given, the Galaxy Note 2 is far less than a year old, but AT&T will likely roll it out several months from the international roll out date which is again said to be May or June.

That means that owners will likely be looking at late summer or perhaps, even early fall, before Android 4.2 Jelly Bean rolls out for their 5.5-inch phablet.

Sprint

As we have said before, Sprint has been quick out of the gates when it comes to Android updates so we expect the Sprint Galaxy Note 2 to be the first in the United States to get its upgrade to Android 4.2.

That said, we don’t expect the software to arrive for at least a few weeks to a few months after the international version gets the software which means that Sprint Galaxy Note 2 owners will likely be waiting until summer, possibly late summer, for an update to touch down.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile hasn’t confirmed Android 4.2 for the Galaxy Note 2 but we expect it to arrive for its model at some point down the road. T-Mobile typically is middle of the road in terms of speed so don’t be surprised to see it roll out a few weeks after the Sprint update arrives.

U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular will almost certainly roll out Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for its Galaxy Note 2. Again, the regional carrier is a bit unpredictable when it comes to speed of its Android updates so it’s impossible to say when it will arrive. It likely won’t be the first, but we doubt that it will be the last either given that its one of the carrier’s biggest devices.

Verizon

Verizon will be rolling out Android 4.2 to its Galaxy Note 2 though its release remains unconfirmed. What is also unconfirmed, and likely, is the fact that Verizon will likely be the last carrier to get Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to its 5.5-inch phablet. Verizon is notorious for its rigorous testing process and slow updates and we imagine that those will factor into the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.2 update as well.

The carrier also recently confirmed that it will be adding more apps for use with the device’s Multi-Window View feature. We still aren’t sure if it will come with Android 4.2 or another update though Android 4.2 appears likely.

Samsung Galaxy S2

Will the AT&T Galaxy S2 get Android 4.2?

Will the AT&T Galaxy S2 get Android 4.2?

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is an extremely old device, at least in smartphone years, with it approaching its two year birthday in the United States. And while some carriers have unleashed their Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates, other devices remain without it. Here is how the update situation has panned out for the Galaxy S2.

AT&T

While AT&T rolled out an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for one version of the Galaxy S2, the Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, the original Galaxy S2 remains without the update with no release date in sight.

Given that other carriers have rolled out their updates, we don’t expect the software to be too far off in the distance, but as of right now, details about the software remain unknown.

It appears though that the Galaxy S2 may ultimately wind up getting Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, though we caution AT&T owners to temper their expectations. If it does roll out, it won’t be for many months down the road and it’s also possible that AT&T may skip Android 4.2 completely if it doesn’t meet performance standards. Remember, the Galaxy S2 is old.

Sprint

Sprint was the first U.S. carrier to release the Galaxy S2 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, an update that has been available since the end of March. And while we have seen nothing that says that the Galaxy S2 will get Android 4.2 on Sprint, we imagine that the carrier will be one of the first to roll out the update, should it ever arrive.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile recently became the latest carrier to roll out its Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean update, making it available earlier this month. Like the other Galaxy S2 devices, it’s unclear if Android 4.2 is on the way, but if it is, expect T-Mobile to be amongst the first to get the new software.

U.S. Cellular

Unfortunately for those on U.S. Cellular, the carrier was way behind the Samsung Galaxy S2 Android 4.0 ICS update curve and because of that, we haven’t seen Android 4.1 roll out just yet. The carrier has yet to announce any details but because the other models have received their updates, we expect the regional carrier to update its device.

As for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, it’s possible, but due to the schedule that it’s on right now, we wouldn’t expect the update to arrive until much further down the road, if at all.

Verizon

Finally, the Verizon Galaxy S2, which is still without an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Verizon is typically last to updates and it remains with AT&T and U.S. Cellular as the carriers without updates.

We expect it to roll out, despite Verizon’s penchant for testing, but it may not arrive soon. No date has been given and AT&T is typically faster than Verizon to Android updates. We do expect it to beat the U.S. Cellular update, however.

As for Android 4.2, we’ve seen Verizon skip out on some updates before, likely due to performance issues, so it’s possible that Android 4.2 will never roll out. However, considering the adoption of this device, we believe that Android 4.2 will likely be its last stop.

17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. Mona Everett

    05/01/2013 at 9:11 pm

    TACOMA,WA; Sprint ; Galaxy Note 2: We have had our update for several days.

    • brent

      05/02/2013 at 10:10 am

      Where did u get ya update from???

    • Instabiliti

      05/18/2013 at 10:20 am

      your sprint Note II has been updated to 4.2.2???

  2. sudesh

    05/01/2013 at 11:28 pm

    Galaxy s III I want update my device is 4.2.2 help

    • DS

      05/03/2013 at 7:21 am

      unless you root and flash a custom aosp rom, your going to be waiting a little while lol

  3. mrstruegemini

    05/02/2013 at 2:14 am

    My kids have the Samsung Skyrocket SII on ATT they got their text to update last week which I updated all 3 and they are awesome. They still get to save all the apps they want to SD plus the bells and whistles of Jelly Bean 4.1 so not fair . I have the Note 2 by ATT and it only holds 30 large apps which sucks.

  4. Rich

    05/02/2013 at 10:00 am

    My Verizon Galaxy Note 2 literally just got done downloading a new update. Rebooted, installed the update. Rebooted again, said Android is updating Optimizing app __ of 176. Then started up and I am now at Adroid Version 4.1.2, from the 4.1.1 that i was at…

  5. wendy norris (@winorris)

    05/04/2013 at 6:59 pm

    i have sprint s3 and no update yet although a buddy has sprint s3 and has mutliview;-(

  6. Andriod User

    05/05/2013 at 4:23 pm

    I was just wondering when the Samsung Galaxy Exhillirate was getting the Android 4.1 or 4.2 Updates. I got the 4.0 (ICS) Update back in February and that update came out last september. I hope it comes out in last june or july.

  7. Toomanybarts

    05/09/2013 at 8:13 pm

    I updated note 2 to 4.1.2 on AT&T and now it runs like a skateboard on gravel! Wish I don’t bother and shouldve stayed on 4.1.1

  8. carola

    05/14/2013 at 8:49 am

    My phone updated and now I’ve lost the handswipe print screen… how do I get it back?

    • Sumant Bhalla

      05/16/2013 at 8:57 pm

      Go to Settings – Motion – Hand Motion – Check option to capture with palm swipe, whole lot more options are there to configure

      • carola

        05/17/2013 at 4:37 am

        THANK SO MUCH! Hand swipe issue fixed..

        • sudeshsarma

          06/10/2013 at 4:59 am

          Galaxy s III update 4.2.2 jelly beans in August true story

        • sudeshsarma

          06/10/2013 at 5:01 am

          Galaxy s III is not running 4.2.2 jelly beans latest version

  9. Kala

    05/22/2013 at 10:11 am

    So basically klp will be out before we get our next 2 updates. Isn’t there a 4.3 update also?

  10. craig sinclair

    05/23/2013 at 11:12 am

    will verizon carriers receive the jelly bean 4.2.2 update anytime in the year of 2013? i currently have 4.1.2 I’ve done tons of rersearch and obviously myself and others like me are getting the shaft! wwhats the dill pickle?

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